Remembering the 12 Victims of the Washington Navy Yard Shooting

Here we remember the 12 victims who tragically lost their lives on Monday at the Washington Navy Yard. They are hardworking, loving family people who are greatly missed by their loved ones and mourned by the nation.

Following each capsule is a link to an individual article about each victim.

Michael Arnold, 59

(Fox)

The 59-year-old was working with a Navy consulting firm when Aaron Alexis opened fire on unarmed workers.

Speaking to reporters, Arnold’s uncle, Steve Hunter, revealed that his nephew spend 29 years in the Navy and retired at the rank of captain last October, according to MyFox. Arnold’s tenure included a previous deployment to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

Martin Bodrog, 54

(Bodrog Family Handout)

Martin Bodrog, or Marty to his friends, was a Navy veteran who lived in Annandale, Virginia. He has been confirmed as one of the victims of the horror that broke out at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, reports NPR.

Bodrog is reported by NPR to have worked as a senior analyst at Tech-Marine Business. On the company’s website, they are described as featuring many former military officers on staff. Tech-Marine Business offers support to the Navy across different departments.

The Frasiers prayed and watched the live TV coverage. They clutched their iPhones and clasped one another’s hands every time a cellphone rang or beeped with a text message. Their minister came over, and everyone sat on the couches and sang from the Bible.

The FBI told Frasier’s sibling, Lindlee, that her sister was in the hospital having been shot in the attack. At 10 p.m., Lindlee was told the news that everybody feared all day, Sylvia had died.

Kathy Gaarde, 63

Kathleen Garde, or Kathy to her friends, 63 a resident of Woodbridge, Virginia was a financial analyst for a company contracted by the US Navy, reports The Associated Press.

Gaarde’s husband, Douglass, upon learning of his loving wife’s death at the hands of crazed gun man at the Wasington Navy Yard on September 16, wrote:

Today my life partner of 42 years (38 of them married) was taken from me, my grown son and daughter, and friends. We were just starting to plan our retirement activities and now none of that matters. It hasn’t fully sunk in yet but I know I already dearly miss her.

John Roger Johnson, 73

(Twitter)

NPR reports that Johnson lived in Derwood, Maryland. Johnson was known to his friends as “J.J.” His work mainly involved administration work throughout the building’s IT department, which included “distributing cellphones and wireless cards.” One former co-worker, William Vinable told NPR’s Hansi Lo Wang:

I’m a 20-something-year-old black man, and he’s a 70-plus-year-old white guy. You know, we had zero in common. But we had great conversations, and he was a great spirit; it was a spirit that you could connect with. He was one of my best friends in that place.

Frank Kohler, 50

(LinkedIn)

Frank Kohler was native of Zelienople, Pennsylvania. He attended Slippery Rock University in nearby Butler County, Pennsylvania. Kohler graduated from there with a degree in computer science in 1985, and his wife, Michelle, also graduated from the college with a similar qualification a year later. His parents and brother still live in Zelienople.

Kohler, 50, was confirmed as one of the victims of the horror that took place at the Washington Navy Yard on September 16, reports Tribune Live.

Mary Frances Knight, 51

(Facebook)

Mary Francis DeLorenzo Knight has been revealed as one of the 12 victims from Monday’s Naval Yard shooting in Washington, D.C. The 51-year-old worked for Naval Sea Systems Command inside the building where Aaron Alexis opened fire on innocent civilians.

Knight joined the Naval Sea Systems Command Headquarters in August 2009. She was recently promoted to Deputy Command Information Officer of Enterprise Cyber Security in the Naval Sea System Command, according to the FayObserver. She worked previously as a information assurance manager in the IT department.

Vishnu Pandit, 61

(Pandit Family)

Vishnu ‘Kisan’ Pandit was the embodiment of the American dream. Born in 1951 in Bombay, India, he earned his first degree in engineering in poverty stricken Calcutta in 1973. He moved to America in search of a better life, enrolling at the University of Michigan. He was immensely proud of the career he had in the US Navy, which began upon his graduation in the Merchant Navy. In testament to his pride in his military service, his family have asked that instead of any flowers, donations be made in Pandit’s name to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Kenneth Bernard Proctor, 46

(Proctor Family)

Proctor, of Maryland, was a civilian utilities foreman who leaves two sons and an ex-wife whom he recently divorced. His oldest son just enlisted in the Army.

The Baynet reports that Proctor, 46, was from Charles County, Maryland. His role at the Washington Navy Yard was as a civilian utilities foreman and was not based in the building where the shooting took place. His wife told The Associated Press that Proctor normally went to the building for breakfast.

Gerald L. Read, 58

Gerald Read, 58, is one of the many ex-military members who were killed during the tragic shooting at the U.S. Navy Yard on Monday morning. He was a family man who dedicated much of his life to studying and service to his country.

Richard Michael Ridgell, 52

Ridgell was a coach with the Westminster Jaycees Girls Softball team. His youngest daughter, Maddi, is still on the team and his older daughter, Megan, played on the team at one point. His co-coach on the team, Tom Whitcomb, told The Carroll County Times about his experiences with Ridgell:

Mike was the kind of guy that you would want your daughter to be coached by. He was always positive. He was always encouraging. You couldn’t have asked for a better friend.